I Promise
by Fireena
Summary: AU. Sitting alone on a hill, Jack thinks about what it means to go to war, and what he will do when his time comes. Will he fight like his father, or refuse to shoot like his older brother. Either way someone has to die. Just how far will Jack go to protect his sister?


**Y'all will never guess where this oneshot came from. A school assignment for engish class near the start of the second semester. Yep. I changed the names of Jack and Pitch for the assinment, (didn't want to make it glaringly obvious to anyone reading it that I write fanfiction as its still one of those things I don't like many people IRL to know) but aside from a couple additional details its all the same. So anyway, technically my first ROTG fanfic, it just took me a while to post it.**

**Oh, and if I accidentally typed Zack or Mitch, they should be Jack and Pitch respectfully. Anyway, enjoy!**

Alone on a hill, Jack, a young man of seventeen, sat looking out on the grassy hills as the sun began to set down upon them. His family was scorned for what his older brother, Pitch, had done, while until just a few days before they had been held in a long high-standing. Just a few days before the family had gotten word that his brother had been responsible for the deaths of seven other men, ye had escaped with his own life and would soon be returning home.

Coward, traitor, deserter-all these name had been thrown out, not only in accordance to his brother, but himself, his sister and their mother as well. Those that did not know them well simply gave them cruel, scorning looks and glares,while those who had used to be friends with himself and his brother wished Pitch dead for what he had done.

Their father had gladly gone to war years ago when it had just begun, believing in The Cause with all his heart. Jack and Pitch had looked up to him with adoration shining brightly in their young eyes, feeling so proud that their dad was so brave. As kids,the two of them had spent many days playing and pretending that they too were in battle, just like their great, brave and powerful father.

Then he died. Shot in battle just three years after he had left. Everything changed after that, and gone were the fun games and the pretend battles. War was no longer a game that they played, but instead a very real threat that they could only hope would end before either of them was sent out to fight for their country.

When Pitch's time came, he did not want to go. Since his fathers death, he idea of dying, even dying for his country, terrified him. However it was mandantory for all those able-bodied men over the age of twenty one to go to war, whether they believed in The Cause or not.

The Cause. No one even knew what that was anymore. The war had been going on for far too long and now no one could even remember why it had even begun in the first place. Who had decided that their country should go to war? Who was it that decide what was right? Who was it that decided what was honorable? All of these questions, yet there was not a single answer to any of them.

"Always do what you feel is right," their mother always told them, "don't do what others say if inyour heart you feel that it is wrong. If you follow your heart then you will never go astray."

Pitch had felt that the war was wrong; he must have felt that what h had done was right, or else he would never have done it. However, whatever his belief, it didn't change the fact that it should never have been done. Seven families out there were now missing someone in their lives. A father, a son, a husband...A brother. Yet in the long run, they were just a small fraction of the much, much larger whole.

Jack sighed as he lay back in the grass. Some people, he supposed, were just able to sacrifice everything for the sake of others on the chance, the slim chance, that things would change for the better. His dad was like that. Always giving up something for someone else. Whether it was the lat slice of homemade cherry pie, which had always been his favorite, for his daughter, or his life for his contry. Men like his father were a rarity he supposed, but who really knew?

Who knew what men were really like? Maybe most were like his brother-scared of going to war and not believing in The Cause. Maybe they only fought because they were afraid of what would be said to them if they refused to fight. Maybe they felt as if they would shame themselves or their families by refusing; cruel words keeping them from doing what they believed in.

Or perhaps many men were like his father. Maybe it was Pitch who was the rarity. Maybe most men who went to war truly were selfless. Willing to give up everything, including their lives, so that maybe their families and the future generations could have a chance to live in peace.

"Jack!" His sister, Mary, called out as she ran up the hill towards her older brother, "Jack, mom wants you to come home!"

Jack sat up, looking at his watch. It was late and he had been out for more than two hours, so it was no wonder his mom wanted him to come back home. He got up and ran down to his sister, picking her up and spinning her around, "alright, let's go home," he told her as he set her back down.

"Okay," Mary agreed as they continued down the hill. The two walked in silence for a while before Mary spoke again, "Jack, do you think that the war will end before you have to go fight?"

Sighing, Zack shook his head, "no," he answered honestly. The war had been going on for far too long and showed no signs of ending. Thinking it would end soon was just dilusional. H had realized when his brother left that he could no longer go on thinking that he was safe from fighting in the war.

"What will you do?" Mary asked.

Jack stopped walking. What would he do? What was it that he felt was right? His father had felt that it was right to go to war and figh, and so he had fought and died for his family and his country. His brother, on the other hand, had felt that fighting was wrong, no matter what the reason, and his refusal to shoot a gun had cost seven people their lives. When his time came, what would he do? What was he willing to sacrifice?

"Jack?" Mary asked again, unsure how to react to her older brothers sudden silence.

Jack looked down at his little sister. Looking into her wide and innocent eyes he instantly knew the answer. He knew that he wanted to protect her and that childish innocence that shone like a bright light in her brown eyes, "I'll do what is right, just like mom always says." he told her as he knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders, "I won't back down. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, just like dad did."

"You'll come back though, right?" Mary asked worriedly.

"I hope so," Jack replied, "but if I don't, just know that it was my choice that I made so that you could keep smiling and having fun."

Mary leaned forward to hug her brother tightly, "you would do that for me?" she asked, "do you really mean that?"

"I really do, Mary," Jack whispered as he returned the hug, "I would do anything for you. I promise."

**So, I may do a second chapter for this but as it stands, it is a one shot. I apologize for any typos as my laptop seems to be on its frikking period or something and wants to leave out letters unless I press it 2 or 3 times. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading one of my school assignments. :P**

**Oh, and for a heads up, Mary is going to be the name I use in any of my fics in regards to the name of Jack's sister. It bugs the ever living shit outta me that they couldn't take three seconds to come up with a name for her of all people. She may only have a couple minutes of screentime, but she's still important.**


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